Lightning strike hits Lebanon home and triggers fire

Lebanon, tenn. (WSMV) – When storm is on the table, people in Middle Tennessee are worried about the wind damage, possible floods, even tornadoes.

It is the same concern as fate and Charles Atkins had on Saturday, but in their 10 years in Lebanon, what happened to their home was something that they had never expected.

When thousands of flash, the middle state covered with the storm, which was penetrated this weekend, one of these strikes hit the couple's house on the Barnes Drive. The strike caused a power failure in her house and even triggered a fire.

“We felt it,” said Charles. “It shook the house.”

The couple says they were inside when it hit, but they didn't think much about it at first. They thought it was another round of thunder that was nearby.

“Boom! Really loud,” Destiny recalled. “And we said: 'Oh my god, what is it?'”

The couple continued with what they did. Charles went to get a package from his veranda, and thanks to his neighbor next door, her vigilant eye may have saved her life and home.

“When I got the package, my neighbor Tracy ran towards us on the other side of the street, and he just tried to draw my attention and I immediately accepted it,” said Charles. “He had no shoes on or so. It was how it was [in a] Panic. And he said: 'Your house is burning! The attic is on fire! 'And I am like' what? ' '' '

His neighbor noticed that the smoke came from the tip of the house. While fate brought his child and Charles' mother out of the house, Charles hurried to the attic with a fire extinguisher and hoped to find out what the lightning strike started.

“I don't let my house burn,” said Charles. “So, that's why I went into protective mode.”

Charles was able to spend a large part of the fire when the first aiders were on site, which the couple appreciated, about five minutes after the strike. The strike left two holes in her roof, a handful of blown sockets and Charles with a few small burns.

In the long run, her home only suffered minimal damage.

The Atkins welcomed the work of the neighbors, first aiders and others who let them know what was going on and who helped when the situation took place. The American Red Cross helped the family to find apartments while repairs are carried out.

The couple wanted to emphasize how important it is to pay attention to their neighbors and to have a plan in an emergency. They say that these two factors and the right tools did not deteriorate in the house.

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